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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · march · kick · date · bore · fan · lash · pop

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bore — to drill
  3. kick — in football
  4. stock — goods
  5. date — the fruit
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. march — the month
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pop — music
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stock — shares
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pop — soda
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com